U.S. Pat. No. 5,541,395 A discloses a method for packaging magnetic stripe cards into envelopes. The magnetic stripe cards and the envelopes are printed with matching information, e.g. the name of a future card holder. The information is also coded into the magnetic stripe and printed on the envelope again in the form of a machine-readable bar code. Before magnetic stripe card and envelope are joined together, the applied information is checked for a match. For this purpose the magnetic stripe on the one hand and the machine-readable bar code on the other hand are read out. This method permits the packaging process to be carried out by machine and makes sure that personalized cards are put only into the particular associated envelopes. The method presupposes that the envelopes are completely personalized when they are brought together with the cards to be packaged. It is not suitable for applications where the individualization of a package is effected only after joining with a data carrier to be packaged.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,271 A discloses a method for packaging an object in an outer packaging which is transparent in the area of the object. The outer packaging comprises substantially a shaped transparent plastic material which is held by a support frame made e.g. of paper.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,494 A further discloses an identity card which is provided on one side with information identifying a person, such as in particular a photo, and personal data, and which bears on the back side a two-dimensional bar code. The two-dimensional bar code contains in machine-readable form likewise the data identifying the person. Two-dimensional bar codes contain in encrypted form information along a principal direction as well as perpendicular to said principal direction. Two-dimensional bar codes are known in different embodiments, e.g. under the name PDF 417 or as a so-called matrix code, which are both described in international standards.
DE 44 15 667 A1 discloses a method for producing a chip card dispatch unit which comprises an envelope into which a cover letter as well as a dispatch envelope with one or more chip cards are inserted. The dispatch envelope comprises a series of contiguous single pockets which have e.g. been cut off from an endless dispatch envelope. A chip card is placed in each single pocket. Dispatch envelope and cover letter are each provided with a matching identification code. A plurality of dispatch envelopes can bear the same identification code. Dispatch envelopes and cover letters are brought together with reference to the identification code. Plain text chip card data can further be provided on a chip card. Plain text data can likewise also be applied to the envelope or the back side thereof. The application of the plain text data is effected completely independently of each other. The success of the method depends on correct application of the identification codes to dispatch envelopes and cover letters. If an error occurs here, this leads to a misassignment of chip cards and cover letters.
DE 40 20 578 A1 further discloses a solution for applying to an envelope a machine code corresponding to the stipulations of a national post office. For this purpose, the actual letter is first to be provided with not only a plain text address but also a machine code readable by an internal reading station. The address field is thereupon placed in the window of a window envelope. The internal machine code is subsequently read automatically through the window and a machine code corresponding to the stipulations of the particular national post office generated therefrom. The latter code is finally printed on the outside of the envelope. A thus processed letter can fundamentally also include enclosures. This solution is based completely and focuses exclusively on the handling of usual postal letters.